1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shin guards for wearing during sports play and more particularly to shin guards worn by catchers during the play of baseball or softball.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A shin guard is commonly used and is required for league play in baseball and softball, as a hard thrown baseball pitch or bat deflected ball striking a catcher""s unprotected leg, knee, shin, ankle or foot may cause severe injury. Besides providing protection, the shin guard is often used in conjunction with the leg of the catcher, to intentionally block a base runner from reaching home while sliding into home plate.
Known shin guards typically include: 1) a hard exterior shell that covers the lower leg of the catcher, 2) a kneecap shell that covers the kneecap of the catcher, 3) an upper kneecap shell that covers a portion of the catcher""s thigh located just above the kneecap and 4) a foot guard that covers a portion of the catcher""s foot. The exterior shell, kneecap shell, upper kneecap shell and foot guard are attached to one another to form a single unit. The exterior shell, kneecap shell, upper kneecap shell and foot guard are movable relative to one another so that they cover the leg of the catcher as he or she moves from a stand-up position to a crouch position and vice-versa.
Such a known shin guard is attached to the leg of the catcher by inserting the leg into a concave-like cavity formed by the various shells and the foot guard. Next, a plurality of straps that are attached to one side of the shin guard are wrapped around the rear portions of the leg and attached to D-rings located at the other side of the shin guard. It is common that the attachment includes two separate straps that are criss-crossed relative to one another so their clips engage two separate D-rings arranged at the other side of the shin guard. Criss-crossing the straps helps to support the leg. One disadvantage of using such straps is that their attachment can be difficult. A second disadvantage is that the use of two clips on each shin guard increases the possibility that a clip on one shin guard engages a strap on the other shin guard. A third disadvantage of using such straps is that it is often difficult to adjust the straps to adapt to different leg thicknesses. In addition, crisscrossing the straps often results in the straps being twisted which can result in discomfort to the catcher when the shin guard is worn.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the attachment of a shin guard to a leg.
A second object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of a clip from one shin guard engaging a strap of another shin guard.
A third object of the present invention is to improve the comfort level and/or support provided by a shin guard to a leg.
One aspect of the present invention regards a shin guard that includes a shell having a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell. A V-shaped strap that includes a first free end attached to the first surface, a second free end attached to the first surface and an apex positioned between the first free end and the second free end and attached to the second surface.
A second aspect of the present invention regards a shin guard that includes a shell having a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell. A movable leg support includes a first end attached to said shell and a second free end, wherein the leg support moves relative to the shell from a first position to a second position where the second free end extends past the first surface and lies over the concave interior volume of space.
A third aspect of the present invention regards a shin guard that includes a shell having a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell. A leg support includes a first end attached to the shell and a second free end that extends past the first surface and lies over the concave interior volume of space, wherein the leg support does not engage the second surface.
A fourth aspect of the present invention regards a shin guard that includes a shell having a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell and a heat/sweat absorber positioned within the concave interior volume of space.
A fifth aspect of the present invention regards a shin guard that includes a shell having a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell. A kneecap shell is attached to the shell and a kneecap insert attached to the kneecap shell.
A sixth aspect of the present invention regards a method of attaching a shin guard to a leg of a person by inserting a leg into a shell of a shin guard, the shell including a first surface and a second surface that face each other and define a concave interior volume of space that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the shell and into which the leg is inserted. The method further including moving a leg support attached to the first surface of the shin guard so that a free end of the leg support snugly engages the inserted leg, wherein the leg support does not engage the second surface.
Each aspect of the present invention provides the advantage of improving the attachment of a shin guard to a leg.
Each aspect of the present invention provides the advantage of reducing the possibility of a clip from one shin guard engaging a strap of another shin guard.
Each aspect of the present invention provides the advantage of improving the comfort level and/or support provided by a shin guard to a leg.
The foregoing features and advantages of the present invention will be farther understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: